Sunday Reflection: Today's words for the Community of Emmanuel

 

Easter falls on the 5th Sunday of the month, which meant it was my turn to offer the reflection for my inner-city friends so that Pastor Quinn could have a little break from giving the sermon. Here's what I offered. I was more than a little emotional at times when I shared it, and in spite of being full of coffee and Easter chocolate eggs, the Community of Emmanuel was very attentive and listened more quietly than I imagined they would...

To all my readers, friends, and family, a joyous and blessed Easter season!

Happy Easter, my friends! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

We’ve just come through a heavy week…  the week Christians remember the betrayal, abandonment, unfair trial, mockery, violent torture, and death of Jesus, who came to teach the world that God loves us beyond death, into new life. But unlike the followers of Jesus who were lost in sorrow and confusion after his death, we know what came next.

But I’d like to invite you to imagine what it would be like if we didn’t know about the resurrection. From Good Friday until Easter Sunday morning, they were stuck in a place of darkness and unknowing. I invite you to quiet yourselves for a few moments, to sit comfortably with your feet on the floor, to lower your eyes, to breathe gently, and to listen and think about what that was like.

See if you can put yourself into the place of one of Jesus’ followers. Maybe you are Peter, or another follower of Jesus. Maybe you are Mary. Or maybe you are just yourself, back in the time of Jesus.

You are one of Jesus’ close friends. He speaks beautiful words to you about love and forgiveness, he heals you and your friends by listening to your hearts and your deepest needs, he helps you to believe in a God who loves everyone, but most especially, you. He laughs with you, feels your sadness with you, and talks with you as if no one else in the world matters. He cares for you, walks with you, eats with you, reminds you often about the beauty of the world, and sleeps under the stars near you.

Life is good and beautiful, just the way Creator wants it to be. And then suddenly, it’s not. Jesus is arrested. You follow him through the days of his betrayal. You hear all the unfair, made-up accusations against your friend, a man who you know is goodness itself, the best man you ever met and ever will meet. And then you see him die in the cruelest way imaginable, on a cross on a hill outside your city.

And you and everyone else who know him fall into shock and grief and confusion. This isn’t how it’s supposed to end! Jesus was everything good and true and beautiful, but he died, and nothing makes sense anymore.

He died. He died. He died. For a day and a half, all you can think about is that he died. The sadness exhausts you.

But wait, the burial cave is empty.

Empty?

How can it be empty? You saw Jesus’ body carried into the cave.

Running to the cave, your mind is moving fast. Someone stole the body. Someone wanted the cave for a different person’s burial. Or maybe it’s the wrong cave. There must be an explanation!

But when you arrive, you see the truth of the cave’s emptiness. It’s so empty. Jesus, your beloved friend, is gone. Dead and gone. You wonder how? Why? Where is he?

Sadness sweeps over you again, as it has so many times in the hours since Jesus died. Tears come, and they don’t stop. Your beloved friend is gone and will never be with you again.

But then a light catches your eye. You look into the cave again. Where did these two people come from?

They ask, “Why are you weeping?”

There aren’t enough words to express your grief, so you simply tell them you’re looking for Jesus’ body.

And when you turn to leave the strangers in the empty cave, a man stands there, blocking the path.

The gardener, you think.

“Who are you looking for?” he says.

Again, you say you are looking for Jesus’ body.

And the man sighs a deep, gentle sigh, and with all the love in the universe in his voice he speaks your name.

And suddenly, you know who he is! Your heart leaps to the sky and you are hugging your beloved friend, Jesus, and you are both laughing and crying with joy.

Listen to your heart and your feelings right now, and see if you can hear what the risen Jesus is saying to you this morning.

Pause…

I invite you to gently bring yourself back to the present moment, to the Community of Emmanuel, of God with us.

For me, Easter Sunday is usually a time of hope and joy. But it hasn’t always been that way. As human beings, we are all very much affected by the things that go wrong in our lives, by the mistakes we make, by the hurts we have to endure, by the losses of relationships that are important to us. And I am no exception.

When things pile up and seem very bleak, I am like Mary of Magdala, having a hard time seeing that the risen Jesus wasn’t just the gardener. I remember one particular Easter when there was too much heavy stuff weighing me down, and I was feeling miserable and lost and confused and very sorry for myself.

But something moved me to pull out my old, dog eared bible. Before I opened it, I said to Jesus, “I’m having a really hard time here. I really need some words to guide me through this dark night of the soul that I’m stuck in.” This is that beautiful old broken-down bible. I opened it, and this is where my finger landed. 

I read… 

"For see, the winter is past,

    the rains are over and gone,

The flowers appear on the earth,

    the time of pruning the vines has come,

    and the song of the dove is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

    and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.

Arise my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!"

And a few chapters later, these words caught my heart:

Love is as strong as death,

    passion fierce as the grave.

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

    a raging flame.

Many waters cannot quench love,

    neither can floods drown it.

If one offered all their wealth for this love,

    they would be laughed at 

    because it would never be enough.

In that moment, I knew that Jesus was calling my name and speaking to me with all the love in the universe in his voice. And today’s story of Jesus is told every Easter Sunday morning to remind us all that no matter what we are going through, Jesus knows us and calls us by name, saying “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!” Come to new life. It’s a bit early for spring here in Edmonton, yes, but listen to the sparrows that are singing earlier and earlier every day. See that the geese are returning. And soon little shoots will poke out of the ground as nature reaches for resurrection, just as I did. And that’s what I, Jesus, want for you too. Resurrection. New life. And the love that is worth more than money can buy.

Jesus knows us all by name. And in my case, he has a lot of names to remember – Maria Joanne Bernadette and two last names, and I'm also known as Cookie in my family of origin. Think of all your own names. I invite you now to put your hand on your heart, and silently, in your head, to say your own names. And then, the second time, say your name that is your favourite one and think about Jesus saying it gently and lovingly as he invites you to participate in his new life.

My prayer for us all this Sunday:

Brother Jesus, you call us all by name, with your voice full of all the love in the universe.
You invite us to let go of our hurts and pain and to live in the light and joy of your resurrection.
Be with us, and help us to feel your love for us, and to share it with others who need it just as much as we do.
Bless us and keep us in the hope that is life with you. Thank you, Jesus.        

+Amen

Tomorrow's not just Easter Sunday

Tomorrow is more than Easter Sunday. It's also Transgender Visibility Day, a day to celebrate the Transgender people among us. And this year, it's even more important to recognize and support our trans folk because they are coming under attack by politicians who want to win votes from their ultra-right wing, anti-trans supporters.

The thing about ultra-anything and anti-anything folks is that they define themselves by judging others different from themselves for one reason or another, and scapegoating them rather than accepting their differences. (Good Friday was all about scapegoating...) But celebrating diversity and inclusion enriches our world.

I know there are a few Trans Day of Visibility events planned for March 31, but I am having a hard time finding details -- perhaps because, since the Premier of Alberta's declaration against the Trans Community two months ago, Trans folks are not wanting to draw attention to themselves for fear of reprisals from ultra- and anti- folks. They're celebrating quietly. Even so, I do want to acknowledge the day because I happen to love my own trans child, and I want our society to come to a place where everyone is accepted and encouraged to be who they are.

I want to believe that we can all work together to find common ground, and to listen -- to offer each other curiosity and compassion rather than become entrenched in fear and in demonizing those who see life differently than we do.

I hadn't given the people hiding behind divisive issues much thought until I read this article about a counter protest I attended in September. There was very little dialogue or discussion there because it was too loud to even have a conversation.

These kinds of disagreements play into the hands of divisive powers (like the aforementioned Premier) who prefer that we are so engaged in arguing with each other that we don't see how the people  with power are fomenting more and more fear and rage -- which keeps us feeling anxious, hopeless, and powerless rather than working together to discuss and address the issues that are most critical. And often those critical issues are making the powerful even more powerful -- to our detriment. (I saw a post somewhere yesterday that said the top 1% of the world's wealthy have 44 trillion dollars among them. If that isn't sinful, I don't know what is.)

So I guess I'm calling all of us, especially anti- and ultra people, to curiosity, compassion, and conversation rather than judgment and condemnation of people who are different. And I want to celebrate Trans people who are making a difference, like Captain Beatrice Gale, the first openly Trans chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces, who appears in the video below. 

And I am saying to the trans community that I see you, I know and love some of you, and you are wonderful just for being who you are. Happy Trans Day of Visibility!

Good Friday 2024

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this is a busy week for me. And the two things shared below are a big part of that busyness. I highly recommend setting aside your usual Good Friday practices and joining us!

The first is a good ecumenical reflection on where Christ is being crucified in our world today. The second is a beautiful, musical and meditative prayer (with the music of the Taizé community in France) that invites us all to center ourselves in prayer for the world. Neither of them are your typical Good Friday church experience -- but if we are followers of Jesus, we can take our faith to the streets and pray with people of all faith backgrounds. After all, he included all of us.

I will be attending both events. If you're in the Edmonton area, it would be lovely to see you there!

Monday Music Appreciation #26 -- William Prince's Gospel First Nation

I'm not quite sure what it is about this man and his music, but the more I listen, the more I appreciate his talent. We only have one of his albums, not being people who use online music platforms much. That one album is his 2020 recording, Gospel First Nation, which was a CD gift from our eldest. 

Gospel First Nation been a companion for Lee and me on most of our recent road trips to Lethbridge, with its fittingly reflective Sunday morning music as we head home. It's gotten so Lee and I really enjoy singing along, and maybe that's because the relaxed background vocals and simple melodies make it feel a bit like a family sing song, or an old Kris Kristofferson record that my parents had, Jesus Was A Capricorn.

William Prince took home a Juno music award last night for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year for his recording, Stand in the Joy. I have yet to hear it, but once this Holy Week -- the busiest week of my year -- is over, I plan on finding William on Spotify and having a good sit-down-and-listen session.

In the meantime, here's the title track of the CD that we play in the car on Sunday morning road trips. It's a gentle, wistful, and beautifully-filmed video that speaks to the realities of life in First Nations communities. In the midst of this very busy week, I'll admit to appreciating the image of Jesus living "peaceful, in a house without any kids, in Fisher Bay, Manitoba." Enjoy. 

Sunday Reflection: The days are surely coming

Today's reflection is brought to you by 

Jeremiah 31:31-34.

O God,

You say the days are surely coming...

When you will put 

your law in our hearts.

When you will be our God

and we will be your people.

When we will all know you.

When?

When? 

When?

More days than not lately,

it feels like we are as far from you

as we can possibly get.

But you say the days are surely coming.

Indeed,

they have come 

for some of us

who know you are with us.

But not everyone knows, 

so how do we bring them along?

Help us to show them

your presence in our lives

by our actions --

to inspire all people

to help change our world:

When we heal the hurts we have caused our planet

and encourage everyone

to choose harmony with creation instead.

When we find ways to help the displaced among us

who are looking to belong,

inviting everyone into community together.

When we include those who are excluded because of

race, 

gender, 

sexual preference, 

disability, 

poverty, 

or societal status,

helping all people 

to see each other's common humanity.

When we share about the need for homes and care 

for those who live and die on our streets because of

trauma,

illness,

and misfortune that are no fault of theirs.

When we work beside Indigenous peoples

for the justice they have deserved all along -- 

so that our relationships are truly reciprocal.

When we live in sufficiency

rather than excess

for the sake of future generations.

When we become peacemakers

who demand compassion and non-violence

from our leaders.

The days ARE surely coming,

you say.

O God,

give us the determination

not only to pray for their arrival,

but to create a world that does what it must

until they are HERE.

+Amen

Winter beauty

It's been a very dry western winter this year snowfall-wise. But two Sundays ago the white stuff came down and made the world beautiful. 

Even more so in the Rockies. My husband had a conference in Banff these last two days, and I came along to enjoy winter beauty.

Here's a bit for you to enjoy, too, though these pictures can hardly do it justice!

Monday Music Appreciation #25 -- A walking song

I had the pleasure of hearing James Keelaghan live on Saturday night, playing with the very talented Jez Lowe. It was a great concert, but it made me feel old when I did the math and realized that I've been a fan of James for over 35 years! He's written some great tunes in all that time, and I'm glad to know them. 

James is nominated for another Juno award this year for the album this tune comes from, Second-Hand. I love the positivity in the piece below, especially the chorus, given the times we live in:

Walk on, better days are comin'

Walk on, you don't have to walk alone

Hold on to the things you believe in

Keep on walkin' til we all get home.

You don't have to walk alone... we're all walking together. Enjoy!

Sharing a friend's writing

As the mom of a transgender person, I've met a few other wonderful trans folks besides my own child. One of them, Elli, had an important op-ed piece published in The Globe and Mail on Tuesday. The world is ever-changing, but as Elli explains so eloquently, we need to put the needs of trans people above our discomfort with change...

Click here to read Elli's article.

I share this because it's a lesson I have learned the hard way.